Recorder-reproducer device.



c. E. WOODS.

RECORDER REPRODUCSR DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED MAII. IB, I9I5.

Patented Mar. 13, 1917.

UNITED santas rnrnnr ernten4 (.J'JIN'IOIQl E. WOODS, OF BBIDGEPOBT, CONNEGTICUT, ASSIGNOB TO AMERICAN GRAPHQ- PHONE COMPANY, 0F BEIDGEPQET, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATION 0F WEST VIR GINI.

RECORDEB-REPRODUCER DEVICE.

v Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Mar, 13, 1917 Application le March 18, 1915. Serial iilet 35,206.

To aZZ 'whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, Cmpv'roN E. WOODS, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Bridgeport, Fairfield county, Connecticut, (whose post-office address 4is care of American Graphophone Co., Bridgeport, Connecticut,) have invented a new and useful Improvement in 'Rcorder-Reproducer Devices, which invention is fully set forth in the following specification.

This invention relatesto talking-machines employed interchangeably for recording and reproducing, and connnpnly known as dictation-machines. A well-known form of such dictation-machines is shown in the Macdonald U. S; Patent No. 1,100,024, dated dune 16, 1914, in which the recorderreproducer head is mounted on a suitable carriage that travels along the cylinder, and has a single diaphragm equipped withiioth a recording-stylus and a reproducing-styus.

disposed in alinement in the vertical plane at right angles to the axis -of the rotating cylinder; and by shifting' said recorder-reprcducer backward or forward in said plane, either stylus is thrown out of engagement while the other is brought into operative position, or the head is put into neutral position with both styli out of engagement.

In dictating to such machines, it is frequently desirable to interrupt the dictation and listen to the words just recorded. This may be done, after first putting the recorder-reproducer into its neutral position, by sliding; the carriage backward (along the cylinder) the desired distance, and then bringing* the reproducing-stylus into position. However, it isquite a delicate and difficult operation to slide the head backward liust the right distance; and therefore so-called back-spacers have been devised, by which the head is moved in rcverse direction one step at a time. Again, upon resuming the dictation, after listening; to the reproduction, the operator is liable to bring lthe recording-stylus into contact with an already-recorded portion of the cylinder,thus destroying the record already made; or, in making sure to avoid this, the carriage s liable to be advanced too far, with an iinnecessary sacrifice of recordingspace. To avoid these troubles, so-called forward-spacing devices have been designed. The object of the present invention is to attain the Same results of back-spacing and forward-spacing, without having to complicate the machine with special mechanisms forl that purpose.

The present invention consists in locating the two styli out of the alinement referred to,--that is, in placing the recording-stylus somewhat in advance of the reproducinaf- A stylus, so that by merely shifting from the recording-position to the reproducing-positionand without sliding the vcarriage-the reproducing-stylus is at -once brought into engagementseveral record-grooves behind where the recorder has just been operating-g and then theA operator can readily listen to what he has just been dictating; and, when such reproduction is finished, the mere bringing of the recording-stylus intovposi tion insures that it shall engage the cylinder far enough in advance not to destroy any portion of the record already made.

As the pesent invention is to be applied to the renti inearly-reciprocatory head of dictation-machines of the general type 'with its diaphragm carrying the two styli (the latter indicated in dotted lines). The reproducing-position into whichl the diari phragm is shifted is indicated by dotted lines.

In. the drawing, 1 indicates the cylinder; and 2 is the diaphragm, carried by the head 2, which is adapted to be shifted toand-ro,4as along the line 6--6, at right an- 'gles to the axis of the cylinder,-that is,

from the position shown in full lines to that indicated by the dotted lines. To the diaphragm are secured, as 'by Washer 3, the usual reccrdin -stylus 4 and reproducingstylus 5. But, instead of the two Styli beingy located in the same transverse line (as 6-6, or other line at right angles to the axis of the cylinder), the recording-stylus 4 is placed somewhat in advanceof the repro- (lacing-stylus 5 (to the right, in the dra 1 ing). The dotted line 8 8 indicates that portion of the surface of the tablet with Vwhich the recording-stylus and reproducinglstylus respectively will contact when in operative osition.

lThe rawing is intended to indicate that the stylus 4 has recorded its helical recordgroove around the first portion 7 of the cylinder,leaving the remainder of the cylinder blank. If, now, the reproducing-stylus 5 be brought into position, 5 (by shifting head 2 to the position indicated by dotted lines) it will engage the cylinder several grooves to the left of the blank portion, so as to reproduce the matter recorded in the last few grooves; and, thereafter, on restoring the recording-stylus 4 to position, there will be no danger of erasing any portion of the record already made.

The lateral displacement between the two styli may be (say) tive record-grooves, or more or less (as desired). On the usual dictatioli-machine'y (cutting 1GO threads to the inch), a lateral displacement of 3,12 of an inch will locate the reproducing-stylus just iivc threads behind the recording-stylus; but these figures are given merely for illustration. 4

Although the invention has thus been fully described in detail, yet it is not limited to the precise construction and arrangement of parts above set forth, and may be embodied in various forms. For example, the record-tablet need not be in the form of a cylinder, and the two styli need not be arranged in the precise diagonal alinernent shown, and the styli need not be carried directly by the diaphragm,-it being sufficient that the parts are so located that the reproducing-stylus When brought into operative contact With the tablet will engage the same at a point behind the position just occupied by the recording-stylus.

Having thus fully described the invention, what is claimed is:

1. A recorder-reproducer for dictationmachines, comprising a rectilinearly-reciprocatory head having a recording-stylus and a reproducing-stylus located diagonally with respect to the direction of reciprocation.

2. A recorder-reprodueer for dictationmachines, comprising a recording-stylus and a reproducing-stylus having a rectilinearlyreciprocatory movement7 and located diagonally with respect to the direction of reciprocation.

3. A rectilinearly-reciprocatory recorderreproducer system for dictation-machines, having the recording-stylus and the reproducing-stylus located diagonally of each other with respect to said rectilinear path.

4. A recorder-reproducer for dictationmachines, comprising a recording-stylus and a repr Jducing-stylus, said styli being so located with respect to each other that upon shifting `into the reproducing-position said rcproducingstylus engages the recordgroove in the rear of the termination thereof.

5. A recorder-reproducer for dictationmachines, comprising a recording-stylus and a reprodbeing-stylus, said styli being so located with respect to each other that upon shifting into the Arecording-position said recording-stylus engages the record-tablet in advance of the point in the record-groove from which said reproducing-stylus has just been removed. l

6.A recorder-reproducer system for dictation-machines, comprising a recordingstylus an'd a reproducing-stylus mounted to be reciprocable in a path parallel to the tangent to the record-groove at the point of stylus-engagement therewith, the two styli being located diagonally of each other with respect to said path.

In testimony whereof I have signed this speciication in the presence of two subscribing witnesses. CLINTON E. WOODS.

Witnesses:

C. A. L. MAssrE, LAUEETTA T. NEAL. 

